U.S. patent application number 11/365402 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-07 for hearing aid with automatic sound storage and corresponding method.
This patent application is currently assigned to Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH. Invention is credited to Eghart Fischer, Uwe Rass.
Application Number | 20060198530 11/365402 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36569648 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060198530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fischer; Eghart ; et
al. |
September 7, 2006 |
Hearing aid with automatic sound storage and corresponding
method
Abstract
The adaptation of a hearing aid to the wearer is made more
convenient according to a hearing aid and method of use. A hearing
situation is classified according to a hearing situation at any one
time, the sound of the hearing aid is stored, and subsequently the
sound setting with the assigned classification is stored. In this
case, the sound setting is automatically stored with the associated
classification after each adjustment.
Inventors: |
Fischer; Eghart; (Schwabach,
DE) ; Rass; Uwe; (Nurnberg, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHIFF HARDIN, LLP;PATENT DEPARTMENT
6600 SEARS TOWER
CHICAGO
IL
60606-6473
US
|
Assignee: |
Siemens Audiologische Technik
GmbH
|
Family ID: |
36569648 |
Appl. No.: |
11/365402 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/60 ;
73/585 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 25/70 20130101;
H04R 2225/41 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/060 ;
073/585 |
International
Class: |
H04R 29/00 20060101
H04R029/00; A61B 5/12 20060101 A61B005/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 2, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 009 530.5 |
Claims
1. A hearing aid, comprising: a classification device for assigning
a classification to a hearing situation at any one time; a setting
device for setting the sound of the hearing aid; and a memory
device, which is connected to the classification device and the
setting device, for storing a sound setting with the assigned
classification, permitting a sound setting to be automatically
stored in the memory device with the assigned classification after
each setting.
2. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting
device comprises a remote control.
3. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the remote
control comprises a setting mechanism permitting the remote control
to set hearing aid sound for the hearing situation at any one
time.
4. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
classification device comprises a mechanism to switch automatically
into a signal class corresponding to a hearing situation at any one
time, with the associated sound setting.
5. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 4, comprising a cross-fading
mechanism for cross-fading from a first sound setting into a second
sound setting.
6. A method for operating a hearing aid, comprising: assigning a
classification to a hearing situation at any one time; setting a
sound of the hearing aid; and automatically storing the sound
setting with the assigned classification after each said
setting.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:
automatically switching into a signal class corresponding to a
hearing situation at any one time with the associated sound
setting.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:
cross-fading from a first sound setting into a second sound
setting.
9. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:
automatically storing a sound setting for a first hearing program
for the hearing situation at any one time in a similar way for a
second hearing program.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to a hearing aid with a
classification device for classifying a hearing situation at any
one time, a setting device for setting the sound of the hearing
aid, and a memory device, which is connected to the classification
device and the setting device, for storing a sound setting with the
assigned classification. In addition, the present invention relates
to a corresponding method for operating a hearing aid.
[0002] The individually preferred sound settings of a hearing aid
are dependent on the acoustic surroundings. For example, higher
levels are desired for music at low frequencies than when holding a
conversation in noisy surroundings. This means that the sound
setting is generally carried out according to the signal class.
[0003] Modern hearing aids have classification systems which sense
the hearing situation at any one time and perform corresponding
settings in the hearing aid. These settings are determined during
an adapting session with an acoustician and entered in the hearing
aid as a fixed setting. From this fixed setting, the wearer of the
hearing aid can then manually perform changes of the sound settings
corresponding to changed acoustic requirements in each case from
the fixed setting for the respective hearing situation. To avoid
constant resetting, readjustment with the acoustician is
necessary.
[0004] European Patent EP 0 814 634 B1 discloses a programmable
hearing aid system. In this case, the set of parameters of a
programmable hearing aid assigned to each hearing situation is not
already established during adaptation with the hearing aid
acoustician, but instead a number of test parameter sets are
provided at the beginning for each hearing situation. In an
optimizing phase, the wearer of the hearing aid can then determine
which set of parameters is individually best suited for him in the
individual hearing situations. The set of parameters is finally
permanently assigned to the hearing situation. This constitutes
adaptation to actual acoustic surrounding conditions, which can
largely be performed by the wearer of the hearing aid himself.
[0005] In addition, the German patent document DE 101 52 197 A1
describes a method for programming a hearing aid with the aid of a
remote control. The wearer of the hearing aid can switch his
hearing aid to a receiving mode, in which absolute or relative
parameter changes concerning the volume, high- or low-frequency
boosting, activation of a noise filter, etc., are recorded.
Recording is ended by actuating a memory button and stored in the
hearing aid or the remote control. If the hearing aid then detects
the same hearing situation once again, not only the setting for the
hearing program provided for this but also the previously recorded
operating steps become effective, so that an individual adaptation
of the hearing program to the respective surrounding situation
takes place.
[0006] The European patent document EP 1 453 356 A2 also discloses
a method for setting a hearing system, it being possible for
interactive adaptation to be performed during operation. A
classifier detects different hearing situations and starts
interactive adapting procedures, within which various settings must
be assessed. In this case, only settings which match the hearing
situation are offered.
SUMMARY
[0007] The object of the present invention is to make the
individual adaptation of a hearing aid more convenient.
[0008] This object is achieved according to various embodiments of
the invention by a hearing aid with a classification device for
classifying a hearing situation at any one time, a setting device
for setting the sound of the hearing aid, and a storage device,
which is connected to the classification device and the setting
device, for storing a sound setting with the assigned
classification, it being possible for a sound setting to be
automatically stored in the storage device with the associated
classification after each setting.
[0009] Also provided according to various embodiments of the
invention is a method for operating a hearing aid by classifying a
hearing situation at any one time, setting the sound of the hearing
aid, and storing a sound setting with the assigned classification,
a sound setting being automatically stored with the associated
classification after each adjustment.
[0010] Such a hearing aid is therefore constantly in a learning
mode, the last changes/settings performed by the user always being
stored in the latest hearing program. The settings are then taken
over once again when the hearing aid is switched again into this
program.
[0011] The setting device preferably comprises a remote control.
This ensures more convenient operation of the hearing aid. With the
remote control, the sound of the hearing aid can preferably also be
set for the hearing situation at any one time.
[0012] According to a preferred embodiment, the classification
device can be used to switch automatically into a signal class
corresponding to the hearing situation at any one time, with the
associated sound setting. With the automatic storage of the sound
setting, it is not only retained in the last chosen state when the
hearing aid is switched on and off but also when there is an
automatic change of the hearing program according to the respective
signal class.
[0013] With the automatic switching-over of the hearing program, in
a preferred embodiment, there is cross-fading from a first sound
setting into a second sound setting. This has the advantage that
the wearer of the hearing aid is not surprised by a high volume if
a specific frequency band in the newly switched-on hearing program
is amplified to a much higher level than in the old hearing
program.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention is now explained in more detail on the
basis of the accompanying drawing, which shows a flowchart of the
way in which the hearing aid is set according to an embodiment of
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] The exemplary embodiment described below represents a
preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to the
flowchart represented in the figure, after switching on the hearing
aid or starting, an automatic classification of the hearing
situation at any one time takes place, corresponding to step S1,
with the classification device of the hearing aid. The hearing aid
uses this classification information to load the sound setting
corresponding to the classification information automatically from
a memory, as indicated in step S2.
[0016] The hearing aid system therefore has a setting device which
makes it possible to set the sound during day-to-day operation. In
the present example, the setting device is realized by a remote
control, although any know control mechanism may be utilized. The
wearer of the hearing aid therefore uses the buttons on the remote
control for the sound setting. This sends information on the
adjustment of the sound controller wirelessly to the hearing
aid.
[0017] In the hearing aid, the hearing situation at any one time
has already been sensed with the aid of the classifier,
corresponding to step S1, so that the change in sound can be
assigned to the detected class. The new sound setting is then
stored in the memory, corresponding to step S4, for the signal
class at any one time.
[0018] The memory of the hearing aid contains a number of sound
settings for each signal class and for each hearing aid program. If
the hearing situation changes, the corresponding sound setting is
automatically called up from the memory and set, corresponding to
S1 to S4. The transition of the sound setting takes place by slow
cross-fading.
[0019] To make the setting of a multi-program hearing aid even more
convenient, the sound settings are synchronized in a suitable way
between the hearing programs. In other words, a setting for speech
in quiet conditions, for example, is transferred into a fixed
program for quiet surroundings in an automatic program.
Consequently, the wearer of the hearing aid does not have to carry
out the same sound setting in all hearing programs for similar
hearing situations.
[0020] It is consequently ensured according to the invention that
the wearer of the hearing aid can conveniently adjust the sound of
his aid and adapt it to the hearing situation at any one time. The
hearing aid then stores the settings automatically, so that the
wearer of the hearing aid does not have to perform the settings
again after switching over or switching off the aid. The hearing
aid therefore always remembers the respective setting and is
virtually always in a learning mode. It goes without saying that
the hearing aid may also be provided with the option of switching
off the learning mode.
[0021] According to the invention, it is consequently possible for
long-term acclimatization effects, changing typical acoustic
surroundings and changing hearing loss of the user to be allowed
for in the settings by the user himself, without having to visit
the acoustician.
[0022] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference has been made to the
preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific
language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, no
limitation of the scope of the invention is intended by this
specific language, and the invention should be construed to
encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0023] The present invention may be described in terms of
functional block components and various processing steps. Such
functional blocks may be realized by any number of hardware and/or
software components configured to perform the specified functions.
For example, the present invention may employ various integrated
circuit components, e.g., memory elements, processing elements,
logic elements, look-up tables, and the like, which may carry out a
variety of functions under the control of one or more
microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, where the
elements of the present invention are implemented using software
programming or software elements the invention may be implemented
with any programming or scripting language such as C, C++, Java,
assembler, or the like, with the various algorithms being
implemented with any combination of data structures, objects,
processes, routines or other programming elements. Furthermore, the
present invention could employ any number of conventional
techniques for electronics configuration, signal processing and/or
control, data processing and the like.
[0024] The particular implementations shown and described herein
are illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to
otherwise limit the scope of the invention in any way. For the sake
of brevity, conventional electronics, control systems, software
development and other functional aspects of the systems (and
components of the individual operating components of the systems)
may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines,
or connectors shown in the various figures presented are intended
to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical or
logical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted
that many alternative or additional functional relationships,
physical connections or logical connections may be present in a
practical device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to
the practice of the invention unless the element is specifically
described as "essential" or "critical". Numerous modifications and
adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
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